These Three Remain
by In The Twilight's Flames
Summary: Faith, Hope, and Love, but the greatest of these is Love.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Battle**

Here they come again, Cody said, fear filling every syllable. He took aim, his training taking hold, but the fear never left.

He could learn how to work weapons. He could learn to fight despite the death around him. He could learn to ignore the pain.

But he couldn't learn to control his fear. That stayed with him no matter what.

Damn, how many are there? Zack asked, loading another clip.

Too many.

The bullets carved into the monsters, one after another falling, their corpses piling high into the sky, blacking out the dim light of the far away stars.

What do you say we get a beer after this? Zack aimed the grenade into the legion, otherworldly flesh and bone painting the ground.

Sounds good to me. Cody didn't like beer. It tasted horrible. Left him a drunken mess. A waste of money most of all. Now, a captive to the hell known as war, it sounded like Heaven's elixir.

The waves came closer, the ground scorched by their hellish footsteps. The bullets rang out anon, shattering the demons once more, their inhuman stench stinging the twins' nostrils. No way they could run away, corned against the ocean filled with creatures none could explain. Their only option, slay these fiends, or die trying, and being solders, they had no other choice.

As the demonic onslaught pounded against their humble fort, they stood strong. Repaying each claw and fang with a thousand bullets.

Cody grabbed another clip, noticing their supplies dwindling. The demonic horde showed no such sign of weakening.

They fought on though. Fueled only by the hope that their weapons would somehow hold out long enough.

An inhuman cry echoed along the horizon, an eerie silence following.

What the hell was that?

I'm afraid we're going to find out.

The demonic forces fell back, the twins daring to think they had survived this battle. Though they knew not to lower their guns at a time such as this. One sign of weakness and they'd be dead. Thus far, they had lived, and they had no intentions of changing that.

The rear walls shattered, exposing the twins to the face of this demon. Ugly as sin, she lunged at them.

Without hesitation Zack fired at her.

She grabbed Zack, her fiery claws burying their way into his neck.

He continued firing, desperate for freedom, alas, the weapons of man were useless against a demon such as this.

Cody wept.

His weapons equally useless.

He saw the pain in his brother's eyes, desperate for freedom.

He ran,

at the demon,

fueled by the perfect love that drives out fear.

With boundless determination, his fist collided into her face, shock and surprise crippling her as Zack fell free.

She retreated.

Are you okay?

No time for that now.

Zack was right. Their fort had fallen to the enemy. Torn to shreds. Now, the horde's claws craved human flesh.

The twins remembered their training. Kill them or they will kill you.

The demons numbered greater than the grains of sand on the beach where they stood.

They twins kept fighting though, faith alone assuring them they could survive, hope steadfast in a victory they could not see.

The legion charged, the steel and shrapnel finally failing to hold the enemy at bay. A claw tore into Cody's chest, rending his bullet proof armor to naught.

Zack ran to his brother, love not allowing him to fall like this. They had overcome much, slain many beasts and lost many friends. After all this, he would not allow himself to return home an only child.

Zack unleashed his fury on the beast, slamming his gun into the creature's skull, bashing it away; his weapon coated with the thing's black blood.

Cody stood up. Wounded but not yet broken.

With a smile the twins nodded at each other, and danced together to the rhythm of war. A foe one missed the other destroyed. Their love motivating them to fight harder, to ignore the injuries growing along their fragile bodies, and to stand when the ground around them became coated with red blood.

When an arm fell off they fought with the other. When the bullets ran out they bludgeoned their foes with their guns and everything else they could find. When their legs could no longer hold them, they crawled, still fighting to the end.

Though the humans could only take so much, before they fell to the evil foes.


	2. Chapter 2: Redemption

**Chapter 2: Redemption**

They had fallen

Given up

Left for dead.

Their hope futile, their faith useless.

And as the midnight sky fell, He journeyed onto the battle scared land,

A man called love.

The demons looked to Him, His very presence etched deep in their souls.

He walked to the defeated twins, life gone from their fragile bodies.

The demons backed away, the fire in His eyes demanding respect.

Rise,

He commanded.

He touched their bodies, breath filling their lungs once more.

Zack gazed up, his body shaking with fear.

The mere fact he was touching one like this, a miracle.

Zack rose again, his body coated with the ember blood of war.

Cody too rose, the night bleaker than ever, his sight failing him in light of the surrounding darkness.

Stay back, He said, and the two retreated, obedience the only option.

He held out his hands, and they gazed upon the scars on his wrist, wrought from the judgment long ago.

Inside the twins, pride and ego battled their powerlessness.

They dreamed to take up arms again against these legions of hell, to avenge their fallen friends, to claim a victory wrought of their own two hands.

Though they knew it would be for naught.

With all they had, they fought, wills pushed to the limit, bodies sacrificed in the battle, and for a time, some might guess they could win.

But it was not a battle fallen solders could win.

So the twins stood back and gazed forward, knowing it was no longer their battle.

He stood alone in the darkest night, a light for all to see.

The Light of the World shone, inviting to all, though the darkness could not understand.

In wrath and pride, Hell's forces struck, victory surely but one strike away.

They had lost their power and their daggers fell at His feet.

In droves they ran, determined to bring him to death, to their domain.

Their weapons had lost their sting.

He gazed at them, a hatred beyond words.

He rose into the sky, the light of the sun rising for all to see.

Victory assured, simply a matter of moments.

In awe the twins stood, blinded by his fury, consumed by holy fear.

Pure light descended upon the war-scarred land.

Their power beyond all measure.

No force on earth could match or undo the destruction.

The ashes rose, as He returned to the ground.

Victoriously, He stepped toward them.

My children, you are mine.

He embraced them, the battle hardened men, seeing that this fight was no longer theirs alone.

And while the war would rage once more, they knew they were never alone, and should they fall again, He would be the one to carry them through the fight.


End file.
